© 2025 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Learning a Language, Inventing a Future

Commentator Andrew Lam says that when he came to the United States from Vietnam, he began to learn English at the same time that his voice began to change. He went from a sweet-sounding child speaking Vietnamese to a craggy-sounding teenager speaking broken English.

Still, he says, he liked speaking English -- it made him feel he could be a new person in a new language. Andrew Lam is the author of the book Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Local journalism matters—and it’s at risk.


WKAR brings you trusted news, without barriers—no paywalls, no corporate spin. But now, federal funding that helps make it all possible is on the chopping block. Your support is more important than ever. Stand up for independent journalism in mid-Michigan—make your gift today.